Automatic stop for phonographs



R. HEAD.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 2|. 19l8- Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR B fi ' ATTORNEY R. HEAD.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1918.

1 ,358,31 2. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

4 SHEET S SHEET 2.

2.7;": w k E INVENTOR ATTORNEY a. HEAD.

AUTOMAHC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2|, 1918. I 1,358,3'1 2. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Il ll,

INVENTOR m Q/(LGLL BY @d ATTORNEY R. HEAD.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Patented Nov. 9, 19 20.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 2| 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

INVENTOR Mam BY W UNITED STATES rn'rsu'r orricn.

.ROBERT HEAD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ATE-OLIAN COMPANY, A CORPO- RATION O CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC STOP @3121 PHONOGRAPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed fictober zl, 1918. Serial No. 258,958.

specific embodiments my improved stop is adopted to take, Figure 1 is a. plan view oi: the record, turn-table, tonenrm, sound-hex etc, of a phonograph equipped with my uuton'mtic stop, showing the brake oil with. the sonnd-hox approaching the middle of the record; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lmseplste detached from other purts of my step; Fin: 3 is s plan view of the pivot plate, ln'zilte-lever latchhrni and spring (letitched' from the aforesaid here; lute; Fig. at is :i side elevation of my stop as viewed. from the left in'Fig. 1; Figs. 5,0 and l are vertical sections partly in elevation respectively on the lines5-5 G6, and 7-? in i 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic plain views oi the lower end in Fi 1 of my entorustic stop to indicate the flerent positions uned by the parts during playing; i and 9) u .17 l 'ioinent hetmfe the i is. .i y tripped 10) r, 1 l is n plain-view like l igr. 1 except that the ports ere positioned wi h the soundhor: 'stvlus in the mid-groove oi the record and with the brake automatically tripped and :tsg'sinst th turn-table; and l ig. 12 is l the sumo as Fig. 1. except that the parts of positioned as they will he when the stop me the soundhox is the record to ill:

ot the sin wher the beginning part of rte the tort-l feature ,7 the act of holding the sound-box ,iltl'l0l'l y at or near the beginning of the record will not automatically trip the hrnlie elthoug h it'will do atthe end of the record us Will hereafter appear.

I will now describe the illustrated preterred embodiment of my invention in connec n with the related phonograph-parts. 1 the rear-well and 2 the deck of the phonogruph-cchinet-; is the tone-arm, l

the sound-box, and 5 its stylus. 6 is a dishrecord on the turn-table 7. Both the record and turn-table are broken away in liigs. 1, 11 and 12 to show the structures lying under the turn-table including the n tor-driven spindle 8 supperting the turn-table (cf. Fig. together with the parts making up my automatic step. I j

Said step comprises a base-plate 9 shown separately in Fig. 2 stationerily secured to the deck 2 of the phonograph in the position shown in Fig. 1 under the turn-table. The lower end 10 of this base-plate 1S vertically JllJ-tllI'IlECl (of; Fig. 1) and is extended to the left to provide a support for the horizontal pin 11 on which is rotatably mounted the gear-wheel 12 having the lugs 13-13. The

particular gear-wheel shown happens to have eight teeth with two lugs 13 on it 180 apart. 1 1- is a sleeve fixedly surrounding the beyond said opening so as to hold the pivotplete down on the hese-plete and yet permit it to pivot laterally thereon shout the storesaid pivot 17). 20 ZLll elhow-slmpcd ln'zil'elever pivoted at 17 on the same pivot-pin that pivots the u't'oreseid-plate 3.6 to the hoseplnte 9. 21 is an upturned lug on this hrul-;e lever curl the usual leather or telthrnlu shoe 92 ad] se- 23 is a piece of spring wire having its middle portion supported on the pivot-plate 16 by the upstanding lugs 2 l2 l of said plate. The tensioned bent upper end 23 1 p I ent the run or the turn-table r i hf this wire bears against 'thenotched letthand end of the brake-lever 520' (of. F d) and serves to pivotthe hrshelever into braking position as in Fig. 11 whenever it is unlatched. i

The means for latching the brake-lever in its off 1 )SltlQD as inl ig. 1 consists of the rod 25pivoted at 26 to the left end of the brake-lever and extending through it vertically elongated eye or hole formed in :1 lug 27 upstanding'fromthe pivot-plate 16 the brake is off, gravitates down overthe lower ed eof the e e in the aforesaid 11w b 4 7 2( and thereby latches the brake in its off position shown in Figs. 1 and d.

The tip of this latch-rod 25 projects far enough toward the gear-wheel 12 so that Whichever lug 13 happens to be at the left side of the wheel, as it rotates, will on occasion underlie and lift said tip of the latch rod. thereby unlatching its notch from the lug 27 to permit the spring 23 to apply the brake. j

28 is an upstanding downwardly beveled lug or toe on the free end of pivot-plate 16 with which bevel each lug 13 on the rotating wheel 12 contacts as it rotates downwardly along with the right-hand side of the wheel (of. Figsfl, 8, and 10) so that twice in every rotation saidwheel swings the plate 16 to the right about its pivot 17, each time into'the position shown in Figs. 8 or 10. Note from said Fig. 10 that this righthand position of the pivot-plate is the one which carries the latch-rod into the upward rotary path of the particular lug '13 that has just cammed the plate over to the right so that it will unlatch said rod and apply the brake unless meanwhile the pivot-plate hasbeen swung over into its left-hand position ofFigs. 1 and 9.

During th'eplaying of the record, the lat eral travel or feed of the sound-box and tone-arm across the record is the motive force which is used to swing the pivot-plate 16 to the left immediately after each time it has been swung tothe right by the lugs 13l3.. To this end, a crank-arm 29 is provided on the rotary vertical portion of thetone-arm (Fig. 1) connected by a link 30 with a strip 31 which latter is lengthwise slotted at 32. 'The free end of this strip is slidably guided in a slot 33 (cf. Fig. 5) in the up-turned lower end 10 of the baseplate 9. 34 is a pin projecting upwardly from the brake-lever through the slot 32 inthe strip 31. 35 is a leaf-spring riveted at one end 36 to the brake-lever and at its other s de presses the strip 31 frictionally against the brake-lever so that as the crankarm 29 constantly swings (downwardly in Fig. 1) during the normaljfeed of the sound-box and tone-arm across the record, it slides the strip 31 downwardly and in turn swings the brake-lever'20 slightly about its pivot 17 due to the frictional grip of the aforesaid leaf-spring 35. The upward swing thereby delivered to the lefthand end of said brake-lever (Fig. 1) is delivered by the latch-rod 25 to the pivot-plate 16whose lower end as a result swings to the left. In short, the sound-box as it feeds during playing toward the center or last groove of the record and until it reaches said last groove is constantly tending to swing the pivot-plate 16 toward the left,-. compare Figs. 1 and 9.;-this being the normal condition existing between the intervals when as previously explained twice during each rotation of the gear 12, the lugs 13 -13 forcibly swing the pivot plate 16 to the right without, however, interfering withthe playing feed of the sound-box across the record because the frictional grip of the aforesaid leaf-spring 35 is purposely so slight that the brake lever 20 slips on the strip 31 without checking or interfering with the continuous feed of the sound-box across the record.

The operation of the device can understood. the sound-box to the ight beyond the edge of the turn-table. This will pull the slide 31 upwardly which inturn will automatically pull'the brake-lever 20 into its off position due to the lower end of the slot 32 in said slide carrying against the pin 34; of the brake-lever. Incidentally, this will now be put the spring 23 under tension with the brake-lever 20 latched by the rod 25 to the pivot-plate 16. Also, this latching back of the brake will start the motor to rotate the turn-table and record and will also drive the gear-wheel 12 from the screw 15. Next,

cams the beveled-toe 28 and pivot-plate 16 to the right, viz: into the position shown in Fig. 10 whereby the tip of the latch-rod 25 is also swung to the right into a position which, if maintained, would result inunlatching the brake and stopping the play ing, because the continued rotation of the given lug 13 would cause it to strike up under the tip of said latch-rod and would unlatch it and the brake-leverfrom the pivot-plate 16. However, this never happens until the stylus reaches the last closedring groove of the record, because prior to that time the sound-box stylus and tone-arm are being constantly fed toward the center of therecord by the spiral record-groove- This delivers a constant push (downward in Fig. 1) on the slide 31 which (acting through the brake-lever 20 latched by the rod 25 to the pivot-plate 16) swings said pivot-plate 16 to the left'into the position shown in Figs; 1 and 9 wherein the tip of the latch-rod 25 is no longer in the path of the lugs 13 and cannot be tripped. Thus, the feed of the sound-boa; across the record The operator will first swingwardly with theright side of the wheel'it constantly undoes the work of the lugs 13 by swinging the latch-rod out of the way each time one of the lugs swings it into its rotary path. This continues until the last record-groove is reached, whereupon the stylus travels around in a circle without advancrotation of saicllug causes it to strike up under the latch-rod, thereby unlatching it and the brake -lever 20, whereupon the spring 23 applies the brake and stops the instrument automatically after the record has made a few rotations with the stylus in the end-groove. i

Thus the mere stopping of the 'i eed oi the sound-box for a few rotations of the record will automatically apply the brake. This makes the distance of the jiinal gI'OOVC from the center of the record immaterial. The device will automatically stop the record, whether long or short, at its last groove wherever located. Similarly, holding the sound-box stationary off the record will an tomatically throw on'the brake after a few turns; and since this holding 01 the soundboX is often necessary in order to exercise due care in engagingit with the beginning of the record, ll havemade the lower end of the slide 31 wider than its oniddle portion, so that said wider lower end, will ciigage the tail 23 of the spring 23 when the soundbox is on or near any of the beginning grooves of the record. This, as shown in Fig. 12, keeps the p vot-plate l6 audlatchrod 25 yicldingly pressed to the left so that even if the sound-box be held stationary at or near the beginning of the record, the spring 23 will nevertheless counteract the work oi. the lugs 13, each time they set the tip of the latch-rod in their-path. After the sonnd-hox stylus has played the first part of the record, then the slide 31 has been pushed down as in Fig. 1 until the spring 93" no longer bears against the edge otthc slide 31, and therefore will not interfere with the automatic stopping of the instrument when the last record-groove is'reached. Of course, modifications may he made in the foregoing embodiment of invention without departing trom the spirit either of said invention or of the annexed claims.

lVhat I claim is: i l. in combination with a soimd reproducing machine havinga' motor-driven recorih snpportand travehng sound-reprodncer, an

a latch-member connected to one end of the brake-lever and adapted to be'l'atched to'the pivoted-member to latch the brakedevor in non-braking position, at which time the tree-end of the latch-member is located in adjacent spaced relation to the toe oi the pivoted member 5 a spring acting upon the brake-lever to throw-on the brake whenever the brake-lever is unlatched; a motor-driven rotary-part related both to the tee of the pivoted-member and to the resend of the latch-member so that said rotary-part in each rotation cams aside the pivoted-memher to bring'the tree-end of the latch-meniber into a position wherein further rotation of said part. causes it to strike'against the latch-member to unlatch 1 the brake-lever; and means driven bythe souml-rc n'oduccr as it plays across the record which yieldingly'swings the pivotedand latch-members back intothe'position from which they are ainmed as aforesaid by therotary-part.

In combination with a soundreproducing machine having a motor-driven recordsupport and traveling sound reprodncer, an automatic stop comprising laterally movable-member having a toe; a brake-lever movably connected with so id laterally movable member; a latch-member arranged to latch the brake-lever to the-laterally monableonember in non-braking position, latch-member extending in ljaccnt-spaced relation to the toe of the laterally moval'ile member; a spring which inipels the brakelever into its braking position when the etch-member is nnlatchedg; motor-drive, rotary-part related both to the toe of the laterally movahlemieniber and to the jacent part of latch-memberso that said rotaryqiiai'tin' each rotationcams aside the laterally nio 'ahle member to bring the latch-member into a position wherein fun ther rotation of said part causesit to strike against the latchniember to unlatch the brakedever, and means driven by the sound reproducer as it plays across the record which vieldingl moves the later-all i movaloleand latch-members hack into the position fro'mwhich they are cammcil as atoresaid by therotary-part.

' 3. In combination with a sound-reproducing machine having a motoi' dr'iven recordsupport and traveling sound reproducer, an automaticstop comprising a vihratorymember; brake-member movably connected with saidvibratory-member; a latch-memher. arranged to latch the brake-member to the vibratoryunember in its out-ot-braking position said latchanernberextending in adjacent relationto the aforesaid vibratorymember; means whichimpels the loialnimember into its braking-position when the latch-member is unl'atched; a motor-driven rotary-partrelated both to the vibratory member and to the latchmernber so that said rotary-part in each rotation moves the vibratory-member to hring'the latch-mema motor-driven rotary-part related both to the vibratory-member and to the latch 'reciprocatory-member her into a position wherein further rotation of said part causes it to strike against the latch-member to unlatch the brake member; and means driven by the soundreproducer as it plays across the record which returns the vibratoryand latchmembers to the position from which they were moved as aforesaid by the rotary-part.

4. In combination with a sound-reproducing machine having a motor-driven record-support and traveling sound-reproducer, an automatic stop comprising a vibratory-member; a brake-member movably connected with said vibratory-member; a latch-member arranged to latch the brakemember to the vibratory-member in its out of-braking position; said latch-member extending in adjacent relation to the aforesaid vibratory-member; means which impels the brake-member into its braking-position when the latch-memberis unlatched;

member so that said rotary-part in each rotation moves the vibratory-member to bring the latch-member into a position,

wherein further rotation of said part causes it to strike against the latch-member to unlatch the brake-member; means driven by the sound-reproducer as it plays across the record which returns the vibratoryand latch-members to the position from which they were moved as aforesaid by the rotarypart; and spring-means which is engaged by the aforesaid sound-reproducer drivenpart only when the sound-reproducer is near-the beginning-of the record and which then yieldingly impels the vibratoryand latch-members in the same direction that they are impelled as aforesaid bythe sound- Ireproducer drivcn-part.

5. In combination with a sound-reproduc ing machine having a motor-driven recordsupport and traveling sound reproducer, an automatic stop comprising a reciprocatorymember; an operatively-supported. brakemember; alatch-member carried with the for latching the brake-member in its out-of-braking position; means which impels the brake-member into its braking position when the latchmember is unlatched;a motor-driven part related both to the reciprocatory-member and to the latch-member so that during each cycle of its movement it'moves the reciprocatory-member to carry the latch-member into a position wherein further movement of the motor-driven partvcauses it to disengage the-latch-member to release the brakemember; means driven by the sound-reproducer as it plays across the-record which returns the reciprocatory-- and latch-members to the position from which they are moved as aforesaid by the motor-driven part; and

sound-reproducer driven-part only whenthe sound-reproducer is near the beginning of vthe record and which then yieldingly impels her so that during each cycle ofits movement'it swings the pivoted-member to carry the latch-member into a position wherein further movement of the motor-drivenpart causes it to disengage the latch-1nember to release the brake-member; and a slide driven by the sound-reproducer as it plays across the record having a pin and slot frictional connection with the brake-lever to return the pivoted-member and the latchmember to the position from which they are swung as aforesaid by the motor-driven part, the endof said slot contacting with the pin to operate the brake lever into its latched non-braking position when 7 the sound-reprodu'cer is moved beyond the edge of the record-support.

7 In combination with a sound-reproducing machine having a motor-driven recordsupport and traveling sound-reproducer, an

automatic stop comprising apivoted-member;-a brake-lever pivoted to the pivotedmember; a latch-member arranged to latch the brake lever to the pivoted-member with said brake-lever in its out-of-braking position; a motor driven part related both to the pivoted-member and to thelatchmember so that during each cycle of its movement it with the brake-lever to return the pivotedmember and the latch-member to the position from which they are swung as aforesaid by the motor-driven part; anda spring between the pivoted-member and the slide whereby when the sound-reproducer is near the beginning of the record but not otherwise "said slide through said spring yieldingly swings the pivoted-member and the latchmember in the same direction that they are swung as aforesaid by said slide when driven by the sound reproduceiz v r 8. An automatic stop forsound reproduo ing machines of the type comprising a motor-driven record support and a traveling soundreproducer, the combination of a brake-member for actuating a brake normally tending to act to stop the record support, a controlling member pivotally connected to the brake member, a latch to corn nect the brake member and controlling member, the controlling member and latch being arranged to reciprocate in unison about the pivotal connection of the controlling member as a center, the latch, when engaged, acting to immovably connect the controlling member and brake member and thus restrain the brake, a motor-driven member active on the controlling member to move it in one direction and to thus set the latch in position to be tripped by said motor-driven member and to thus release the brake for action, and means operative by the sound-reproducer while the same is traveling across the record to move the controlling member in a reverse direction to avoid tripping of the latch by the motor-driven member.

9. An automatic stop for sound-reproducing machines of the type comprising a mo tor-driven record support and a traveling sound-reproducer, the combination of a brake member carrying a brake normally tending to act to stop the record support, a controlling member pivoted relatively to the brake member, a latch connected to the brake member and adapted to engage the controlling member to prevent relative rotation botween the controlling member and brake member and thus restrain the action of the brake, the controlling member and latch be ing mounted for limited reciprocatory movement, a motor-driven device for intermittently moving the controlling member in one direction to bring the latch into position to be tripped by said device, and means operative by the sound-reproducer While it is traveling across the record to move the controlling member in a reverse direction to avoid tripping of the latch by said device, said means being also operative upon return movement of the sound-reproducer to relatch the brake in non-active position.

In testimony whereof, I, said Ronnn'r HEAD, have signed my name to this specifica' tion this 19th day of October, 1918.

ROBERT l-IEAD; 

